Male Lister hooded rats were raised from weaning either alone (isolation reared) or in groups of five (socially reared controls). At 5 months of age, bilateral guide cannulae were implanted within the nucleus accumbens, and experiments began. The effect of isolation rearing upon the reinforcing efficacy of the intravenous self-administration of cocaine (experiment 1), or the bilateral intra-accumbens self-administration of d-amphetamine (experiment 2) was assessed. Self-administration was made contingent upon the acquisition of a novel lever-pressing response. Two identical levers were available within each operant chamber. Responding on one lever resulted in the delivery of drug (experiment 1: cocaine, 1.5 mg/kg per infusion; experiment 2: d-amphetamine, 0.25 micrograms/side), responding on the second, control lever was recorded but had no programmed consequences. Animals were not "primed" with noncontingent infusions at any time. For experiment 1, animals received intra-accumbens infusions of the D1 dopamine receptor antagonist SCH-23390, or the D2 dopamine receptor antagonist sulpiride over two test sessions. Within each session, animals received a cumulative series of doses of each dopamine receptor antagonist. A validation group received doses of each antagonist according to more conventional methods (one dose per session). In either case, intra-accumbens infusions of SCH-23390 or sulpiride enhanced the rate of the self-administration of cocaine in socially reared controls. However, isolation rearing impaired this response to intra-accumbens infusions of the dopamine receptor antagonists. Experiment 2a examined the acquisition of the intra-accumbens self-administration of d-amphetamine. Socially reared controls acquired readily a selective response upon the drug lever. However, isolation reared animals acquired a selective response at a greatly retarded rate. In experiment 2b, a full d-amphetamine dose-response function was examined. Isolation rearing impaired the response to a range of doses of d-amphetamine. In experiment 2c, the infusate (1 microgram d-amphetamine per infusion) was adulterated with either SCH-23390 or sulpiride. Adulteration with either dopamine receptor antagonist enhanced the rate of response by socially reared controls. Isolation rearing impaired this response to SCH-23390, and blocked the response to sulpiride. These data are discussed in relation to the functioning of cortico-limbic-striatal systems, with particular reference to the mesoaccumbens dopamine projection.